Picture Perfect
by Lady Mimi Allice de Yorke
Summary: When Hermione spots something in the grounds of Hogwarts that seems impossible, she demands to know how it's possible. What she get's in return, takes her breath away and lays the foundation to what could be a beautiful friendship.


**Picture Perfect.**

"How are you doing that?" Hermione asked as she looked over at the kneeling boy not far from the Forbidden Forest boundary.

"Doing what?" he asked distractedly, not taking his eye away from the view finder of his camera as he tried to capture whatever had caught his interest within the forest.

"Using a muggle camera inside Hogwarts. It shouldn't be working because of the interference the magic has on the mechanics of muggle devices, causing it to malfunction," she said crossing her arms as she stared at her fellow student.

"Well that was all fascinating," he said with an acerbic tone as he gently pressed the button causing the shutter to click softly as his camera captured the image. "But what's your point again?"

"I want to know how you're making it work," Hermione told him angrily, resisting the urge to stamp her foot in frustration. When he didn't answer straight away and continued to look out into the forest through his camera, she scoffed. "You know it's rude to ignore people," she told him sharply.

But the boy just continued looking in the forest, adjusting his lens fractionally until eventually he was happy enough the press the shutter button once more. When he was finally satisfied with the image he had taken he stood and turned to face Hermione, although much to her annoyance his attention remained in the small screen on the back of his camera as he checked the previews of what he had taken. "I'm not ignoring, that's pretty hard to do since you're staring holes into my head, and you're breathing rather quickly, which shows your angry," he told her as he pressed buttons before turning the camera off and finally looking up at Hermione just in time to see her indignant expression. "But the main reason I didn't answer you straight away is because I was focusing on what I was doing because I really wanted to take that picture. You must not answer every question directed at you immediately if you're concentrating on something else, surely?" He told her calmly before smiling in amusement "Although being Hermione Granger, I imagine that you do," he added.

Hearing her name from him surprised Hermione more than seeing the camera working at Hogwarts ever could, and she found that all she could do was stare at him a moment as she thought of what to say, something she never thought she's have to do. "I suppose so," she said quietly, a slight frown on her brow as she looked over at her fellow student.

Now he wasn't kneeling down she could see he was quite a bit taller than herself – even taller than Ron who had shot up over the summer to seemingly tower over Harry and herself. She didn't recognise him which made her think he was somewhat older than her, although she couldn't say for certain how much older than her, but by the slight deepness of his voice she guessed it was by at least a couple of years.

"How do you know my name?" she asked him when she realised he had been standing before waiting for her say something else. "I don't think I've ever met you."

"No I doubt you would have," he agreed with her. "I doubt I've even been in the corner of your eye, but since I'm in year six and you in four, it's not surprising, is it?" he told her with a slight chuckle. "But everyone has heard of you Miss Granger at some point or another, it's not as if you've stayed silent over the last three years," he pointed out to her, smiling when he noticed her faint blush.

"Okay, fair point I suppose," she conceded with a shrug, looking at the ground before looking back up at him, only to see him looking straight at her still, a confused smile on his face. "So, who are you then?" she asked him.

"Adrian, at your service milady," he introduced himself, bowing at the waist making her giggle slightly.

"Nice to meet you Adrian, sorry if was a bit insufferable earlier. I don't like not knowing things" Hermione said referring to her short, sharp questions of a moment ago, and bringing them back into the conversation in the hopes of getting an answer.

Chuckling slightly at how she not-so-subtly brought her questions back around again, Adrian looked back into the forest in an attempt not to stare at the younger girl, something he was surprised to find was very hard to do. "I got the camera for my birthday and found some obscure rune book in the library that allows me to shield it as it were, from the interference our magic would cause it. Best thing I ever did," he told her with a smile before he started to walk closer to the forest. Thinking that now Hermione had her answer she would leave and return to the castle, Adrian was pleasantly surprised when he heard a twig snap behind him. Turning in saw Hermione had followed him as he walked around the forest, towards the shores of the Black Lake. She had even kneeled down a couple of steps behind him when he crouched down to take a picture.

When he took the picture he wanted to take, Adrian looked behind him at Hermione and quickly motioned for her to join him where he knelt. When she finally joined him he held the camera out to her and gently directed her to where he had been looking. He knew he got the right position when she softly gasped and pulling away from the camera looked over at Adrian for a second, surprise and delight shining in her cinnamon eyes before she pressed them back to the eye piece. Gently covering her hand in his own he moved her index finger so that it covered the shutter button and with a little bit of pressure, together they took the picture.

Moving away again Hermione looked over at Adrian and she couldn't stop the happy smile that spread across her face, "Thank you," she told him, feeling honoured that he would share with her such a magical moment.

"My pleasure," Adrian whispered softly as he quickly tried to understand why he had brought her closer and let her see what usually only himself saw. Deciding not to dwell on in too much he gripped his camera in one hand before standing and pulling Hermione up with the other, he lead them back up towards the school. As they headed up the two couldn't help but sneak little glances at one another, always just missing each other's eyes when they looked away.

When they eventually arrived at the Entrance Hall and went their separate ways, Hermione couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever talk to him again. If she's looked behind her just as she rounded the corner of the stairs, and seen Adrian looking after her she would have known that he had every intention of talking to her again. All he had to figure out, was how?

A couple of days later, while she was enjoying her early morning breakfast, Hermione was surprised to see an unfamiliar owl deliver a rather large letter to her. Frowning slightly, she turned it over in her hands, wondering what it held inside. When she finally decided it was best to just open it, she slip her finger under the flap and gently ripped it open before peaking inside (having been on the receiving end of hate-mail recently, she thought it was better to be safe than sorry). Frowning once more at what lay within, Hermione carefully pulled out the note and another slightly smaller envelope. Deciding to see what was written first she opened up the note.

_To the delightful and inquisitive Miss Granger, _

_After our delightful meeting and conversation the other day, I thought you might like to see your masterpiece. I've also enclosed a little something else that I thought you might like. _

_I hope you like them._

_Adrian Pucey._

Hermione couldn't help but smile as she read the little note. Ever since her encounter with the older boy she couldn't stop thinking about him and the photo she took with him. Even when she discovered what house he belonged to, she still couldn't get him out her head. She was besotted.

Reaching for the second envelope, Hermione took even greater care to open now that she knew what lay inside. When she did finally pull the two photographs out she still lost her breath when she saw the same scene from a few days ago in front of her.

There, in the middle of a small clearing in the Forbidden Forest was a brilliantly white and beautifully pure young unicorn. It wasn't posing or preening it was merely grazing, picking little bits off the ground, either completely oblivious or completely at ease with Adrian and herself being soo close to it. Every detail was clear, from the smallest hair in it's main to the veins on the leaves it was gently nosing though.

She thought it was beautiful.

When she finally looked at the second photograph she couldn't help but gasp once again at what was in front of her. Instead of an imagine of another magical creature or the grounds of their magnificent school the photograph was of her and Harry and Ron. They were stood on the bridge that lead towards the owlery, the two boys either side of her looking away from the camera, while she was staring down into the depths of the valley below, a soft smile on her face as she listened to what her friends were talking about, the sun's soft afternoon rays bathing her face in a warm light, her eye's appearing to sparkle as her hair gently blew around her face. She thought she looked beautiful in that moment and was amazed and flattered that Adrian had captured it for eternity.

Hermione continued to look between the two photographs until the sounds of arriving students drew her attention from them. Not wanted other's to see or for them to get damaged Hermione carefully slip the photographs and the note back in their envelopes before sliding it all between the pages of one of her books, taking extra care not to bend any corners. When she was certain they were safe she looked up and over towards the Slytherin table, her eyes quickly coming to rest on Adrian where he talked to his friends. Smiling she pulled out a small piece of parchment she quickly wrote her note before waving wand over it, charming it to fold into a small bird. Directing it over towards Adrian she waited patiently for him to notice and read it. When he finished he immediately looked up and over towards Hermione, a surprised look on his face as they made eye contact. Nodding quickly in response to her question, Hermione couldn't stop her smile as she thought of all that she would get to see and all that she could learn about Adrian.

_At the very least_, she thought_, it'll be an enlightening friendship._

'_The photographs were breathtakingly beautiful. Thank you for sharing them with me. Do you have anymore? _

_Hermione xx' _

**Just a little one shot that I had to get out. Hopefully *fingers-crossed* I'll be getting some one-shots knocked out for you to enjoy for a while, don't reckon I have another multi-chap story in me for a while yet. **

**Hope you enjoyed what I think is an intriguing couple, never written them before so if you could let me know what you think, it'll be greatly appreciated. **

**Lady Mimi. **


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